Readers, you are great. You are my best companion while I was alone, and away in Taiwan during my sabbatical leave of 2008-2009. Thank you for your support and encouragement.
Now, my official sabbatical leave ended on July 15, 2009. There will be no more reasons to enter any new stories in this blog. Instead, I have created another blog site, entitles, "Dr. Chen Story Time." for new stories and my experiences in the U.S.
I love story-telling. I think story-telling is a very good way to get human connections. My story-telling experiences when I was in Taiwan helped me a lot. Dr. Chen will continue his story telling in the new blog site with the web-address as http://dr-chen-story-time.blogspot.com/
I need your continuous support and encouragement. Thank you all, because you are just great.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Miracle--Large or Small Did Happen
Miracle did happen all the time whether they are small or large. It happened to me who happened to be a Christian when I was taking the plane back to US from Taiwan. But I believe that it will also occur to persons of other faith as we keep humble ourselves.
Last week, I sent a note to Pastor Chen of Wu-Feng Presbyterian Church and they had my note translated into Mandarin. Here it goes.
安抵美國，見證上主應允我的禱告
敬愛的陳牧師：
我已於七月十五日安抵美國，現正調整時差中。
我想和各位分享一個關於禱告的見證。
離台兩天前，我覺得非常不舒服，胃脹，吃不下。我就禱告，祈求神的幫助與醫治，也請在美國的太太為我禱告。
當然我去找醫生拿了些藥，同時做了指壓按摩，看起來有點效果，但是，真正幫助我的卻是苦瓜根所燉煮的茶。離開台灣的前一天晚上八點，我的姊姊和外甥來看我，我說出我的症狀,外甥立刻說他也曾有過類似的症狀. 就是所謂的 ”中暑 “。於是外甥就打電話請在彰化的太太為我熬苦瓜茶，雖然姊姊和我都說這樣太麻煩了，但是，外甥卻很堅持，終於我喝了幾盎司的苦瓜茶之後，原本乾痛的喉嚨感覺舒服多了，由於翌日要搭很早的班機回美國，當晚九點我就入睡了。隔天早上我把剩下的茶也喝完了。
結果你猜怎麼了? 從台北到美國密西根州阿爾普頓的航程中，我把飛機上提供的食物吃完了，真是太令人驚訝了。
上主經常用奇妙的方式作工，我只能說這是神應允我的禱告，真是奇妙。陳明楷 敬上 2009年7月17日
To All Readers: This is my last note for this blog. New stories will appear on a new blog: http://dr-chen-story-time.blogspot.com/
Last week, I sent a note to Pastor Chen of Wu-Feng Presbyterian Church and they had my note translated into Mandarin. Here it goes.
安抵美國，見證上主應允我的禱告
敬愛的陳牧師：
我已於七月十五日安抵美國，現正調整時差中。
我想和各位分享一個關於禱告的見證。
離台兩天前，我覺得非常不舒服，胃脹，吃不下。我就禱告，祈求神的幫助與醫治，也請在美國的太太為我禱告。
當然我去找醫生拿了些藥，同時做了指壓按摩，看起來有點效果，但是，真正幫助我的卻是苦瓜根所燉煮的茶。離開台灣的前一天晚上八點，我的姊姊和外甥來看我，我說出我的症狀,外甥立刻說他也曾有過類似的症狀. 就是所謂的 ”中暑 “。於是外甥就打電話請在彰化的太太為我熬苦瓜茶，雖然姊姊和我都說這樣太麻煩了，但是，外甥卻很堅持，終於我喝了幾盎司的苦瓜茶之後，原本乾痛的喉嚨感覺舒服多了，由於翌日要搭很早的班機回美國，當晚九點我就入睡了。隔天早上我把剩下的茶也喝完了。
結果你猜怎麼了? 從台北到美國密西根州阿爾普頓的航程中，我把飛機上提供的食物吃完了，真是太令人驚訝了。
上主經常用奇妙的方式作工，我只能說這是神應允我的禱告，真是奇妙。陳明楷 敬上 2009年7月17日
To All Readers: This is my last note for this blog. New stories will appear on a new blog: http://dr-chen-story-time.blogspot.com/
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Good-Bye, Taiwan
I am writing this note in tears. People know about me understanding me well; Dr. Chen is a very emotional person. When I am writing something deep from my hear, my tears pour out of me.
This one year sabbatical in Taiwan has fulfilled one of my life missions to contribute in Taiwan and to learn something I had missed when I went abroad in 1971. During this year, I taught English Technical Writing, Polymer Chemistry, and Industrial Chemical Process. I had great interactions with students especially for my English writing students. I have English Coffee Social Hour with them every week. Some of them went with me to see movies of '1895' and 'Slum Dog Millionaire'. I also see their growth in English writing skills. Those are gratifying accomplishments.
Intellectually, I also had great interactions with most faculty of the chemical engineering department of NCHU especially with Professor Dai Shenghong and Professor Jeng Ru-Jong. We had weekly meeting during my sabbatical in Taiwan. Those what I have learned and contributed are also gratifying.
The Taiwanese history re-learning experiences are exciting and are hard to describe. When I grew up in Taiwan before 1971, I was taught in school about Chinese history and geography. This year in Taiwan, I actually learn about Taiwanese geography and history. I learned about Taiwanese-French war, I learned about Dr. Mackay and Mr. Hatta Yoichi who had built Wu-San-Tou Water Reservoir and Ja-Nan Irrigation System that has turned the Ja-Yi, Tainan Plain into the rice warehouse of the Southeast Asia. I also had deep appreciation of the Hakka's culture. I went as far as Ping-Tong to see Hakka culture historical remains as well as Nan-Joung and San-Yi. I also had participated in the Tong Blossom Festival. The experiences were fascinating and fantastic.
Living alone my self for one year is hard. Fortunately, I found a church group and a Qi-Kong group to give me support, spiritually and physically. Many thanks to my sister and her children who have taken care of me almost to every details. Also thanks to Meeilei's brother, Mr. Ou Chau-Fu who had taken me to many places in Taiwan to learn about the beauty of Taiwan. Thanks also to friends at Chau-Yang University such as Dr. Huang Jin-Teh and his wife who had introduced me to the church and Dr. Shih Yen-Feng who took me to Ju-San to see the old battle field of Mr. Lin Shung-Wun.
Lastly, I thank my wife for her generosity to grant me living here alone while she has to take care of everything at home such as mowing the grass and shoveling the snow. Those usually are my jobs. Daily Skype phone conversation with Meeilei also gave me tremendous support.
I also had made a mistake by participating in Herbalife Nutrition Club which had made my insomnia and digestion problems worse. At the moment of writing this note, I am really sick. I lost appetite and lost weight. I look forward to coming back to the U.S. to go back to the normal life for better health.
Good bye, Taiwan. I love you all.
This one year sabbatical in Taiwan has fulfilled one of my life missions to contribute in Taiwan and to learn something I had missed when I went abroad in 1971. During this year, I taught English Technical Writing, Polymer Chemistry, and Industrial Chemical Process. I had great interactions with students especially for my English writing students. I have English Coffee Social Hour with them every week. Some of them went with me to see movies of '1895' and 'Slum Dog Millionaire'. I also see their growth in English writing skills. Those are gratifying accomplishments.
Intellectually, I also had great interactions with most faculty of the chemical engineering department of NCHU especially with Professor Dai Shenghong and Professor Jeng Ru-Jong. We had weekly meeting during my sabbatical in Taiwan. Those what I have learned and contributed are also gratifying.
The Taiwanese history re-learning experiences are exciting and are hard to describe. When I grew up in Taiwan before 1971, I was taught in school about Chinese history and geography. This year in Taiwan, I actually learn about Taiwanese geography and history. I learned about Taiwanese-French war, I learned about Dr. Mackay and Mr. Hatta Yoichi who had built Wu-San-Tou Water Reservoir and Ja-Nan Irrigation System that has turned the Ja-Yi, Tainan Plain into the rice warehouse of the Southeast Asia. I also had deep appreciation of the Hakka's culture. I went as far as Ping-Tong to see Hakka culture historical remains as well as Nan-Joung and San-Yi. I also had participated in the Tong Blossom Festival. The experiences were fascinating and fantastic.
Living alone my self for one year is hard. Fortunately, I found a church group and a Qi-Kong group to give me support, spiritually and physically. Many thanks to my sister and her children who have taken care of me almost to every details. Also thanks to Meeilei's brother, Mr. Ou Chau-Fu who had taken me to many places in Taiwan to learn about the beauty of Taiwan. Thanks also to friends at Chau-Yang University such as Dr. Huang Jin-Teh and his wife who had introduced me to the church and Dr. Shih Yen-Feng who took me to Ju-San to see the old battle field of Mr. Lin Shung-Wun.
Lastly, I thank my wife for her generosity to grant me living here alone while she has to take care of everything at home such as mowing the grass and shoveling the snow. Those usually are my jobs. Daily Skype phone conversation with Meeilei also gave me tremendous support.
I also had made a mistake by participating in Herbalife Nutrition Club which had made my insomnia and digestion problems worse. At the moment of writing this note, I am really sick. I lost appetite and lost weight. I look forward to coming back to the U.S. to go back to the normal life for better health.
Good bye, Taiwan. I love you all.
Church Choir Said Good-Bye To Me On July 11
Since joining the Wu-Feng Presbyterian Church, I also joined the choir. Choir typically practices every Saturday night from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM even in summer. The church is a vibrant church; even in summer the choir has full participation from the choir members. The Lo's family took a very effective leadership in leading the choir. One photo shows that Mr. Lo presented me a card while in the other photo, Mrs. Lo is sitting on the same role as mine and is the second woman on my left.
Pastor Chen Came To My Residence To Say Goodbye
Wu-Feng Presbyterian Church is almost my second family while I am living alone myself in Taiwan. Pastor Chen wanted to have a dinner banquet for the farewell party. I told Pastor Chen that because my medical problem, I preferred a light dinner. Pastor Chen and his wife together with Mr. and Mrs. Huang Jin-Teh came to NCHU campus and had a very light dinner at Sung-Yen 盛宴 of NCHU. We had great conversation and good fellowship.
Dr. Huang sat on my right while Pastor Chen sat on the left. The woman sat next to Pastor Chen is Pastor's wife.
Pastor Chen recovered very well from a head injury about 4-5 months ago. A disturbed church member attacked him and hit him on the head. Pastor Chen was rushed to hospital. His family and our whole church went through a difficult time praying for his quick recover. The Lord had heard our prayer. He is now on full duty as a church minister which is a very demanding job. He will be a good role model for me to recover my current medical problem to go back full time in my teaching duty at UW-Green Bay.
NCHU Students Gave Me A Farewell Party With Lemonade On July 7
NCHU students had inquired me how to give me a farewell party. I told them because I had digestion system problem, I requested a lemonade farewell. That did very well and we had good time on July 7.
The students had given me a ROC flag. I told them that if this was presented to me 10 years ago, I would not accept. I remember those days in the US, every time Taiwanese displayed any flags representing Taiwan, Taiwanese would be beaten by those who hold the ROC flag. Today, ROC flag represents Taiwan, not China and Mr. Ma Ying-Jiau could not even keep the ROC flag long in Taiwan.
Wen-Kai 文楷 and His Wife Gave Me A Warm Farewell
Wen-Kai 文楷 and his wife gave me a warm farewell party in Chang-Hua on July 9 at a Japanese restaurant. We took a photo at the restaurant.
Wen-Kai 文楷 and his wife, Zuei-Mei 翠美 sat at the front. Standing next to me is my nephew Liu Fan-Tsai 刘煥彩. Liu's wife, Shu-Jing 琇錦 is standing between Wen-Kai 文楷 and Zuei-Mei 翠美.
Both Wen-Kai 文楷 and Zuei-Mei 翠美 are retired. Liu Fan-Tsai 刘煥彩 is an electrical engineering professor working at Fu-Wei Ku-Ji University 虎尾科技大学. Shu-Jing 琇錦 is a school teacher. Shu-Jin 琇錦 has taught me yoga and gave me a book on how to take care of myself with massage.
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